Good quality leadership training?

[barbarasson]

I am running a 48 hr leadership development package for 17-18 yr old cadets in a few months time. My general plan is to do (15k-ish) night nav on the first night, a round robin of command and planning tasks during the second day and culminating with a stretcher race-type event on the final morning.

Bearing in mind certain restrictions such as sleep (! cadet exercises are so limiting) and no fun near water etc, has anyone any suggestions for good tasks or an alternate format?

 

[Armed_and_dangerous]

you could get them to take it in turns to 'stag on'. then in the middle of the night sneak up on them an empty some paintballs onto them!

 

[barbarasson]

hmm... although fun, i'm not sure about training value

 

[emptyeye]

leadership development package

What you trying to achieve here? make em tired? keep them up? Do lots of things under pressure, it all implies that they need this kind of treatment...they dont

I strongly suggest that you get your red book out of its wrapper, read it, digest the contents, and i cant say this enough times

THEY ARE NOT LITTLE SOLDIERS....STOP TRYING TO MAKE THEM AS SUCH!!!

Stick to your APC training, it tells you what potential Cadet NCO's have to do get those bananas on the brassard, JCIC's and SCIC's and cadet leadeship courses at Frimley are there to do your 'development' package type stuff...

Endex

 

[Moon_Monkey_Spunk]

I agree with the above comments, they are NOT little soldiers, they are probably little sh*ts that need exaclty what your trying to achieve fella. I pity your job! Empty eye sounds like empty head, the forces develop disciplice/loyalty/selfless commitment/personal pride. I doubt you'll achieve this within the red book you get issued and the advice from civvies like emptyhead that know no different!
Good luck!

 

[Moon_Monkey_Spunk]

And before emptyhead replies i've read his recent topics, he's about as upto date with the armed forces as maggie thatcher!

 

[barbarasson]

The little red book is to protect their safety, not as a guidelines to what is good training.

The point of a leadership development package is to develop their bloody leadership! I am not simply trying to rag them for the sake of it, but I do intend to make this challenging, as it will stretch them, and they need bloody stretching. These kids are in CCF for these opportunities, and as with all these things, they enjoy them more when they are hard (but not unreasonable) remembering that all navexs will have member of teaching DS with them.

This is a non-tactical exercise, it is simply an outdoors weekend with navexes, planning tasks, command tasks, and yes, a bit of a stretcher race at some point I imagine.

Why not share your experiences of what makes good training emptyeye, instead of knocking others who are trying to provide it. Given experience of courses I have been on, be it as OTC officer cadet (only a year older than kids I am taking) at RMAS or in my regiment I think I have picked out aspects that are suitable.

I was hoping for some interesting insights from others, particularly command tasks that don't require much kit.

 

[barbarasson]

From the website:

The Combined Cadet Force

The aim of the CCF is to provide a disciplined organisation within a school, so that young people may develop powers of leadership by means of training to promote the qualities of responsibility, self-reliance, resourcefulness, endurance, perseverance and a sense of service to the community. We firmly believe that the self-confidence and self-discipline required in Service life are equally important in civilian life.

Training in the CCF is to:

· Provide the opportunity for young people to exercise responsibility and leadership, and to learn from the Services how they can best be developed;

 

[msr]

Tower of Hanoi

You only need four old car tyres and 3x 6' picket.

msr

 

[barbarasson]

thanks

 

[gooseman]

Why not take them on the welsh 3000's. there are 14 peaks in wales over 3000ft. they are pretty much close together and you should be able to do them all over the 48hrs, including night navigation. get each one to navigate to a peak.

 

[Cuddles]

Why not make them "earn" food, charcoal, buns and pop with each command task they complete? At the end of the exercise they will see the benefits of leadership, co-operation and team work, as they tuck into a balanced pack of goodies. Or possibly eat raw hot-dogs!

Keep the tasks simple, so that there are probably one or two obvious solutions. You are not testing problem solving skills but their ability to lead to a solution. It doesn't matter if the task is a piece of the proverbial, you want to see them appreciate and then execute their plan - with team and delegate too.

Obviously keep the tasks near the ground - a)safer and b)quicker to set up/re-set the area for subsequent syndicates or tasks.

Good ones are a)boiling an egg without use of hands, where any "aids" require several people to work together e.g. giant chopsticks b)photographing a human pyramid where the pyramid members must be arranged in DOB order c)prisoner's dilemma type stuff, d)fox, cabbage, rabbit type stuff and e)PW escape using a badminton net et cetera.

Have fun - I love command tasks me!